You know, We humans are usually in a hurry. I am no different. But... I have made it a Priority to take the time to write this review. We Went to Calera to see and enjoy Celebrating Easter with my family. Chinch lasted roughly an hour. Logistically, we knew wherever we went, it was going to be crowded. It was that. But, Cracker Barrel was prepared. They had a preregistration station set up before going inside the store/Restaurant. Huge help for all, I'm sure. We waited a bit for a table, but not nearly as long as I was thinking it would be. Our party was called over their loud speaker and we were sat. We didn't wait for Nothing after that! I feel bad I can't remember our servers name, but she was SUCH A GREAT waitress. Drink order, appetizer order, and the Main course were all served in a timely manner. We waited for absolutely nothing. Our server was on time with refills, clearing plates, questions and my "Grandma" request ( although no kids were at the table) were handled perfectly. The food was hot, fresh, and delicious! (Fresh Biscuit's! So goooooood!) I have worked in "the Bizness of Food" for a long time. And I have to say, Great job everyone! I was skeptical because of the day it was, and Knowing the MASSES would be out. Thank you Calera for a great Easter meal. You all did a fantastic job. Whomever owns this establishment, you should be very proud of your employees. The teamwork was the dream work. Can't handle days like that unless everybody works together. They all deserve a raise.. Tracey from Sylacauga read more

I went to Cracker Barrel to just look around as they always have different things in the retail shop. I was greeted by Linda and went about my business. Linda asked me if I needed anything and what I was looking for, I told her and she led me to the items, she even went into the back to find the size I needed, we talked about the items and she was very knowledgeable. Linda was very helpful, nice and a funny lady. You should be proud to have her as a team member. Elkton, MD read more

I ordered Grandma's Sampler Pancake Breakfast online. I arrived right at the expected time allowing for a few minutes considering places can be busy. I waited longer than I desired with the cashier asking for multiple updates and thanks to her for a card for free appetizer for the wait. So my issue isn't all about the wait, it is the wait and my food arriving to me cold. I would have loved to say that at least my food was hot after waiting for a while. So not the case!!! I like Cracker Barrel but no plans to return anytime soon. read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - Pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Calera, Alabama

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This wasn't our first trip to Cracker Barrel, nor will it be our last. Stephanie was our waitress tonight and she was great. She waited on us quickly and kept us well hydrated with a tasty winter berry ice tea. The kitchen staff was a lot slower than expected, especially for a dinning room that was only half filled. I felt bad for Stephanie as she kept apologizing for the lateness. Almost an hour later, our food came out, it arrived hot and fresh, tasted delicious. read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - Fish Fry Friday - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Calera, Alabama

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The ambiance is Southern country. You walk through a large gift shop to enter the restaurant. I bought a miniature Wurlitzer jukebox. Our server April was friendly and efficient. Our party of 4 were there for breakfast and shopping I had the biscuit breakfast. The grits were runny. Everything else was good One diner wanted a single biscuit with gravy but had to order 3 The other two were happy with their breakfast orders read more

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90% of the time online orders do not get filled correctly and you get charged for items you didn't receive. I'd like to say it was a one time occurrence...but it's EVERY time. We're done with this place read more

Service was slow today but entry was hot when it arrived to my table. I had fried chicken wit turnips and stringbeans. Chicken was hot and very tasty. read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Calera, Alabama

Waitress was very rude. She took our order and never came back. It was over 30 minutes that she stood in the kitchen door talking and checked on us or reported back. When she did come, she said the fish was a "late drop" and when I asked her what that meant, she even ruder. My 95 year old friend, who she had been rude to, said well we are leaving. I asked to see a manager and no one came. Poor management and poorer service. Never going back. read more

Cracker Barrel in Calera. Takeout order 893491211. Horrible service. Arrived and texted that we were in parking lot for pickup. Waited 10 minutes, went in, our order was sitting there getting cold. Cashier shrugged her shoulders, not her problem. Got home, no gravy on chicken fried chicken and missing one side. Quality check 1R said everything was there. We expect way better from CB. Suggest cashiers use register away from takeout rack and take them out of a process they don't appear to understand or care about. The food we did get was tasty. read more

Worst service I've had in a while. Server did not seem to know what was going on at all. Our food took literally 30 minutes to come to the table. Then once the food was there, the biscuits were another 20 minutes. The food was very subpar. Would not recommend this Cracker Barrel. read more

Cracker Barrel is almost always a fun choice. They have a great store in the front full of a bit of everything. You can find home decor, candles, skin care, toys, books, cds, records, clothing and accessories, food mixes, vintage candies, jams, jellies, sodas, and more. They are happy to hold your items until you finish your meal with the option to pay before or after you eat. Their porch is covered with rocking chairs to relax in or buy and you can often find a table top checkers game in progress or ready to be played. If there is a crowd, make your way to the hostess stand in the back to get on the waitlist or avoid that all together by using the website or app to do so. Sometimes there can be quite the wait so it's nice to pass the time shopping, rocking on the porch, or challenging someone to a game of checkers. Don't worry about not hearing your party being called if you relax on the porch, they have an intercom. Before Covid you could find peg games on all the dining room tables, now they offer a virtual version on their app. It's fun but not quite the same. I was happy to see the return of the physical peg boards tonight!The dining room is cozy with a big fireplace and old time tin signs, pictures, and farm, seed and feed, and gas station memorabilia on the walls. There are no booths here only tables and chairs. You can get breakfast all day, here. They have lunch and dinner specials that make eating on budget easy. There is something for everyone. You can find appetizers, meat and veg plates, sandwiches, burgers, salads, fish and steaks. They have some nice desserts. Beverages range from old fashioned sodas, fruit teas, and regular soda to alcoholic beverages. On this visit we decided to try some of their newest offerings. First, we tried the blackberry sweet tea, which was delicious. I could drink an entire pitcher of this stuff. The blackberry flavor definitely came through. It was sweet but not too sweet. We had the fried pickles with ranch as an appetizer. They were good. They were crispy and not overly greasy. The ranch was a nice addition. I also tried their new Tips, Tenders, N Shrimp plate. There is so much food on this plate without even including the sides and you get two. The tips are tender, juicy sirloin steak tips that are drizzled in garlic butter sauce. These were delicious but well done. I prefer medium rare. The tenders are offered fried or grilled. Tonight, I tried the fried with honey mustard. They were perfectly fried and juicy. The country fried shrimp were delicious, as well. My sides were coleslaw, which was very tasty, and their new loaded steak fries. The loaded steak fries are so good! They're covered in enough cheese sauce that it puddles in the bottom of the dish, topped with shredded Colby Cheese and bacon. They are served with ranch. Dessert was a Cracker Barrel classic, Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Fudge Cake. It is a favorite of mine and always good. Our waitress, and the entire staff, were just wonderful. We came in late, not realizing they closed an hour earlier than we thought. We arrived 30 minutes before they closed and not only were we seated and served but we were not rushed at all. Everyone was friendly. Cracker Barrel now offers scan to pay at your table so you can have a super speedy checkout. I did this and the process was quick and easy. Just don't forget any items you may have paid for or left to purchase later at the cashier's station. read more

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I love me some Cracker Barrel. I tried the cheesecake pancakes and yum!! If you are new to CB it's a family friendly southern cooking restaurant. The food is made for you so expect to wait but it's definitely delicious and worth the wait. There are signs and photos throughout the restaurant that adds a rustic/historic vibe. The waitstaff is great. They now even have reward points available as well as scanning your receipt to pay by phone instead of waiting at the register to pay. There is also a store that you walk through and exit with all sorts of stuff to browse through. read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - two biscuits in a basket - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Calera, Alabama

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The stewed apples tasted bland due to sauce , biscuits were cold and dry , not enough coffee at one time ! Service was good , ambiance was good . I just can't wait to try the meat loaf , I read good reviews ! read more

Wish I could give no stars. Gage, the waiter forgot our order. These rejects are just stupid. read more

Waited 40 minutes for our food. Eggs were slightly warm. The place was packed. Maybe a spring break or Sunday after church??? read more

If I'm not ordering breakfast, I always get the baked chicken in maple sauce and melted cheese. One place makes it perfect where it is juicy and delicious. Another CB will make it with less maple sauce and overdone chicken. It's a hit or miss but it is my favorite dish there. read more

The service was great and the food was as expected! It was before Christmas when visiting so there were lots of ornaments and gifts for purchase up front. read more

Food is ok, biscuits were mushy inside. For 16$ and you get a little bacon and a little eggs is not worth it.

This particular Cracker Barrel is located in a shopping plaza in Calera, Alabama. I have to say that when myself in a group of business associates showing up to this particular location of Cracker barrel, it was pretty busy. We were seated in a relatively short amount of time and our server was immediately there. Looking at my receipt comma I believe my server was Phyllis C., who was wonderful. She was attentive and friendly and allowed us our space. She brought us over an order of the biscuits with butter. These little biscuits were addictive. I will also add that they are probably not the most healthy. Oh well, a little Indulgence never hurt anyone. I had the chicken fried steak and eggs, which is one of my regular breakfast orders. Overall, the chicken fried steak was mediocre at best. It wasn't that it was terrible, it just wasn't particularly good. The eggs were okay and the hash brown casserole was decent enough. Overall, it wasn't a terrible breakfast, but it wasn't anything to rave about either. read more

First let me say almost everything was great food wise , as far as the service , not so much . First off the waitress brought us silverware ( it's not polished , water stained looks terrible) then we asked for coffee , check on the coffee , she then took our order , food was ready really quickly, asked for water napkins and some butter and jelly , she then preceded to take order behind us as we almost finished our meal no one ever brought us anything, I got up went in the kitchen got some napkins and butter and wiped my mouth and put some butter on my now cold biscuit, she returns with napkins and butter , I just looked at her and left a dollar for a tip . I hope who ever her supervisor was gets this , it's not her fault it's the people charged with training her . Oh everything was good except the "pudding " gravy it was void of flavor except the taste of raw flour . read more

Cracker Barrel is your one size fits all restaurant. There is something for everyone on the menu. From your typical southern style breakfast to the vegetable plates, everyone will leave satisfied. While I'm not a vegetarian, my go to order is the country vegetable plate with vegetable soup, fried okra, mashed potatoes, and the infamous hash brown casserole. The complementary biscuits and cornbread really top the meal off. With the addition of online ordering and the delivery options available it is really easy to order and have your food ready at pickup. read more

Went on a Monday night, so it was not at all busy. Good social distancing measures taken. Service was good; food was good. Table got a Grandpa's Country Fried breakfast with the country fried steak, Momma's pancake sampler, and an Old Timer's Breakfast. Fried apples are one of my favorites, along with the biscuits of course. read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - Old Timer's - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Calera, Alabama

Always good, goto spot anytime i can't decide anywhere else. Sometimes Portions are small Or you'll get a fried object you didn't ask for in your okra. read more

Wanted to give a shout out to waitress Arielle (I hope I spelled your name right ) You were the greatest !! You kept coming to ask if we needed refills or if we needed anything . You are a asset to CB and I hope they never lose ya:) Thank you!! We dont get service like this alot and when we do we appreciate it!! The food was good but you made the visit! I will say this the Steak breakfast bowl is pretty big (my son got it and liked it) The wait for food was acceptable (Fri morning) All in All was a good visit . I'm so used to getting subpar service everywhere that I was pleasantly surprised . Loved your personality ! read more

Not a very clean location and service is usually a miss. Multiple tables (including ours) had to get up and ask for silverware. We had to wait a long time for refills and waitress filled our coffee cups only half way. Broccoli was served with some nasty sweet sauce. Do you see the layers of dust on the chair?! read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - Dust and dirt - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Calera, Alabama

I tend to think this location is a little easier to get into than some of the other locations in the B'ham area. Small dedicated parking lot off of the corner of the Walmart parking area. I've never experienced a long wait at this location. Again, this area is a little more rural, so there is less likelihood of long waits. But, if you do happen to show up here and have a wait, fear not, this is just like any other Cracker Barrel location .... yep, they've got the Old Country Store to help pass the time. A throw back to many years ago with vintage soda and candy to shop through. In addition to those types of things they've got some vinyl (records), clothes, home décor, toys, books, and just a little bit of everything. Even a small section of discounted stuff that is probably from the past season. They also, usually, have some stuff that is related to upcoming seasons/holidays, and you can find some unique stuff you won't find everywhere else. Now, the food. It's really kind of like good old fashioned home cooking. They have some pretty large size meals or you can go ala cart ... my preference. Get a side of bacon, some biscuits and the hash brown casserole. Hard to go wrong with this - bacon is really good and the biscuits are some of the best! Service is always friendly and with a smile, even when they are crowded ... basically any morning of the week. But when I say crowded, it isn't ridiculous. There is still typically plenty of seats. Prices are reasonable and on par with an IHOP or Denny's. If you've never been you should try them out. read more

Everything is always good. Service with a smile and down home cheerfulness. My favorites are meatloaf and pinto beans. Oh my! Plus you have the joy of browsing the store to find great deals on things you didn't know you wanted. read more

The service was terrible. after we were seated the waitress did not come to our table for 20 minutes. She got our drink & food order wrong then she tried to charge me extra for making it right. It took 40 minutes to get our food. Do not go if you are in a hurry the whole thing took 1 1/2 hours. read more

I was on my way back home to Texas and I pulled in for breakfast. I was glad I did it was crowded but when I finally got my table the hostess was great very positive and fun personality. Once I placed my order the food is properly brought to me I was able to eat and get back on the road. My food was good as usual at Cracker Barrel, I like my pancakes well done and sometimes they don't do it well enough but they did a great job. read more

Gave this location another chance, and they did great this go around. The food was fresh and tasty, and got to us quickly. Nathan was our serve and was spot on with service and attitude. We enjoyed everything and send that past issues have been solved. Plan on going back soon. read more

Service is just a little slow but it doesn't matter because food is good and they still take your order and bring it to you!

When we are traveling and it's time for lunch the first place we look for is a Cracker Barrel. We stopped here and were seated right away. Our server came to take our order right away. I chose the fresh Haddock plate with 3 sides and biscuits. The mac & cheese, mashed potatoes and fried okra sides were delicious and the haddock was fresh, hot and also delicious. My wife got the homemade dumplings with beans, greens and cornbread. Everything was very good as was the service. Always a good choice any time of day. read more

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Service was fast, and our server was very nice. The broccoli I ordered had sand in it (or at least it was very gritty). I opened a package of grape jam to spread on my biscuit. The jam had mold growing on the surface. The server apologized and offered to get another flavor of jam, but I had nearly finished my biscuit (with butter--not jam), so I didn't try the other flavor. read more

Dining area is loud. Service is slow. If you dine in, there's a chance that you might get a decent meal. If you order take out, check everything in your order, or you will likely be disappointed. Don't use the App. It's useless. Tried using the mobile app. It gave every indication that the order failed to go through three times; at which time I gave up. Then got an email later notifying me that I was charged $38. Contacted manager several times. They assured me that my money would be refunded. That was a lie. So, it cost me $38 to learn what a terrible restaurant they really are. Proceed at your own risk. read more

Going on a road trip and down the road I started to get hungry. So I stopped here to grab some old time breakfast. There was not a lot of people waiting so I knew that my food would be out quickly. Amelia took great care of me. I ordered the Grandma's Sampler. Also I tried their new flavored coffee (caramel). I should have not gotten the country ham it was a bit too salty for me but overall my breakfast was great!! read more

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Prices were reasonable and food was good as usual but man, the service was slowwwwww. Took maybe 7-9 minutes before anyone even came to our table and then we couldn't get ketchup or water refills in any satisfactory abound of time. Restaurant wasn't busy either - our server had us and 2 other tables. It was frustrating. Restaurant was clean. Hostess and managers weren't typically friendly either - instead seemed indifferent of our presence at best. read more

So I called in a order before 8:45 am they said it would be ready in 15 minutes. Let's just say it was given to my husband right before 10am. Food was extremely cold my husband is not one to make a complaint but I will do it for him. The pancakes did not seem fresh at all and were completely flat. I guess you only get good food when dining in. The grits were complete water and not edible. Never again for me to order take out. read more

First stop before hitting the road and I mean who doesn't like Cracker Barrel?! Good food. Vintage style. Decent customer service. This trip was okay... ordered G-Sampler, ham, casserole, and pecan pancakes. My pancakes were not pecan, my casserole cool in certain places warm in the others (flavor still there). My eggs were scrambled (really soft though) and my first bite had a grit texture almost like eggshells or actual grits. Will I return? Of course we all have our okay days. Our waitress Amelia was great! Tentative to us and overall just great. read more

Visit was subpar in every way. Chicken pot pie was burnt but I ate it anyways. My daughters bacon was burnt. My daughters chicken fried chicken had no gravy and we never got any cornbread with any of our food. The waitress was nice when we saw her but that was very little. Super disappointed in $70 dinner and not to mention I was sick for the rest of the night read more

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We had a delicious breakfast meal that we asked the server to split-No problem. The atmosphere is typical Cracker Barrel. The food was typical but good. Service was a cut above as the server was polite and attentive to us. We will definitely go back. Cheers read more